EVENT PROGRAM November 12, 2013
Ritz-Carlton Hotel •Washington, D.C.
Collaborating Partner
TO OUR SPONSORS THANK YOU
For making this year’s event such a success.
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INTRODUCTION Country Promotion Strategies:
Your Starting Point For 19 years, The Washington Diplomat has strived to provide the international community with the news and information it needs to get its job done in America’s capital. And for just as long, we’ve had countless ambassadors, diplomats and officials ask us how they can cut through the Beltway clutter. For foreign nations, getting their voice heard in a city that is busier, and noisier, than ever is a daunting task. Just knowing where to start is a challenge. That’s why The Diplomat established the Country Promotion Strategies (CPS) Conference in 2012 — to offer diplomats a starting point in their journey navigating the labyrinth of government agencies, private sector businesses, NGOs, media outlets and competing interests that make up Washington, D.C. That’s also why we’ve partnered with an array of firms and organizations that understand how Washington works and are widely respected for guiding outsiders through the inner workings of the nation’s capital. Last year’s inaugural CPS Conference, which took place in D.C. just one week after the U.S. presidential election, was an unprecedented forum that gathered together high-level policymakers, members of Congress, the international diplomatic corps, senior executives from multinational and foreign corporations, and major law, lobbying, public relations, and tourism promotion firms in Washington to discuss post-election strategies for deepening political and economic relations with the United States. We had nearly two dozen ambassadors in attendance, along with 250 diplomats representing some 60 nations. This year, we’re continuing that global footprint by offering critical information on a diverse range of topics — from how to engage the administration, to insider advice on how to conclude a successful bilateral free trade agreement, to a look at the latest advances in digital diplomacy and how social media is revolutionizing the work of embassies. We’re proud to be partnering with the Meridian International Center, an esteemed nonpartisan institution in Washington that promotes global leadership, to offer this service to the international community. Washington is a world unto itself. We hope that the experts we’ve assembled and the advice you’ll hear at this year’s CPS Conference will help your nation crack into that world. — The Washington Diplomat
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MENU PLATED LUNCH Bread Service Selection of Rustic Rolls, Olive Country Bread served with Sweet Butter
STARTER Belgian Endive, Red Oak, Watercress Salad, Cabernet-Poached Pears, Balsamic Vinaigrette
Entree Grilled Beef Medallion, Lyonnaise Potatoes, Haricots Verts, Bordelaise Sauce
Dessert Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, Lemon Madeleine Cookies, Seasonal Fruit
Beverages Freshly Brewed Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee, The Ritz-Carlton Tea Selection and Iced Tea
*Vegetarian Option* Wild Mushroom Stuffed Roasted Zucchini, Basil Polenta, Roasted Pepper Coulis
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SCHEDULE 8:00
Registration, Breakfast and Networking
9:00 Welcome and program introduction
Victor Shiblie - Publisher of The Washington Diplomat
Ambassador Stuart Holliday - Moderator President and CEO of Meridian International Center
9:10
MHz Networks: Getting the News out
Frederick Thomas - Founder and CEO of MHz Networks
9:30
Foreign Direct Investment: A Targeted Approach Mark Cowan - CEO of Cowan Strategies
9:50
Break and Networking
10:05
Panel Discussion: Lobbying and Crisis Management
Ambassador Lukman Faily - Ambassador of Iraq to the United States
• Managing Iraq’s Image Through Effective PR
• Key Stakeholders: Government & Business
Ambassador Devinda Subasinghe - Former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States and founder and managing partner of Ambassadors Group LLC
Heather Podesta - Founder of Heather Podesta + Partners
• How to be an Effective Lobbyist
Charles Bakaly - Senior Counselor, North American Director of Crisis and Risk Management Practice for Edelman in Washington, D.C.
• Best Practices in Crisis Management – Navigating Challenges to Reputation
11:05
Break and Networking
11:15
Your Embassy: Building the Best Website Possible
Stefan Gudjohnsen - Partner in Globescope Internet Services (Continued on next page)
All speeches and panel discussions are off the record. There will be several question-and-answer sessions — Chatham House Rule applies.
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SCHEDULE
(Continued from previous page)
12:00
LuncheoN and keynoteS
Stephen Hadley - Keynote Speaker Former National Security Advisor, Principle at RiceHadleyGates LLC and Int’l Advisory Council Member at APCO Worldwide
TOPIC: Pushing Your Country’s Agenda at the White House
Ambassador Gary Doer - Keynote Speaker Ambassador of Canada to the United States
TOPIC: Canada and the United States: A shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness
1:00
Break and Networking
1:15
Your Embassy and Facebook: Something to ‘Like’
Katie Harbath - Manager for Policy at Facebook
1:35
Panel Discussion: Digital Diplomacy
Ambassador Nathalie Cely Suarez - Ambassador of Ecuador Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde - Ambassador of Finland James Barbour - Press Secretary and Head of Communications at the British Embassy Iise van Overveld - Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Press and Culture at the Royal Netherlands Embassy Marc Johnson - Director of Digital Strategy at APCO Worldwide
2:35
Break and Networking
2:45
Diplomatic Work in Washington: The Case of Jordan-U.S. FTA
Dr. Marwan Muasher - Former Foreign Minister and Ambassador of Jordan and vice president for studies at Carnegie Endowment
3:05
Traveler Demographics: How Americans Plan Travel
Paul Cohen - Vice President of Optriant
3:05
A Single Minded Approach to Destination Promotion
3:30
Chris Spring - President of Spring O’Brien & Co., Inc.
Conclusion
All speeches and panel discussions are off the record. There will be several question-and-answer sessions — Chatham House Rule applies.
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Speaker biographies
Moderator
Ambassador StuarT Holliday President and CEO of the Meridian International Center
Ambassador Stuart Holliday is president and CEO of Meridian International Center, a leading nonpartisan public diplomacy institution that strengthens international understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and culture. Ambassador Stuart Holliday served as U.S. ambassador for special political affairs at the United Nations (200305), where his duties included responsibility for U.S. policy on U.N. peacekeeping, sanctions and counterterrorism programs. Prior to serving at the United Nations, Holliday was coordinator (assistant secretary) of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs and principal deputy assistant secretary for public affairs. From 2000 to 2001, he was special assistant to the president and associate director of presidential personnel at the White House, where he advised the president on appointments to the State Department, Defense Department, Veterans Department, FEMA, NASA, OPIC, Peace Corps, USAID and ambassadorships. Following Sept. 11, 2001, Holliday was tasked to staff the first Office of Homeland Security at the White House. Holliday served on active and reserve duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy (intelligence) from 1988 until 1995 and was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Storm. He obtained his bachelor’s in international affairs from Georgetown University and his master’s in international affairs from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
TOPIC: Pushing Your Country’s Agenda at the White House
Keynote
Stephen J. Hadley Former National Security Advisor, Principle at RiceHadleyGates LLC and Int’l Advisory Council Member at APCO Worldwide
Stephen Hadley is a principal of RiceHadleyGates LLC, an international strategic consulting firm founded with Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates and Anja Manuel. RiceHadleyGates assists senior executives of major corporations in overcoming the challenges to doing business successfully in major emerging markets like China, India, Brazil, Turkey and Indonesia. Hadley serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and is an International Advisory Council member at APCO Worldwide. Hadley served for four years as the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from 2005 to 2009. In that capacity he was the principal White House foreign policy advisor to then President George W. Bush, directed the National Security Council staff, and ran the interagency national security policy development and execution process. From 2001 to 2005, Hadley was Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor, serving under then National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. From 1993 to 2001, Hadley was both a partner in the D.C. law firm of Shea and Gardner (now part of Goodwin Proctor) and a principal in The Scowcroft Group (a strategic consulting firm headed by former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft). From 1989 to 1993, Hadley served as the assistant secretary of defense for international security policy under then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney. Hadley graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University in 1969. In 1972, he received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he was Note and Comment Editor of the Yale Law Journal. From 1972 to 1975, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
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Speaker biographies TOPIC: Canada and the United States: A shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness
Keynote
Ambassador Gary Doer Ambassador of Canada to the United States
In October 2009, Gary Doer assumed his responsibilities as Canada’s 23rd representative to the United States. Prior to taking up his current position in Washington, Ambassador Doer served as premier of Manitoba for 10 years. During that time, he worked extensively with U.S. governors to enhance Canada-U.S. cooperation on trade, agriculture, water protection, climate change and renewable energy. Ambassador Doer won three consecutive elections as premier of Manitoba with successive increased majorities. In 2005, he was named by Business Week magazine as one of the top 20 international leaders on climate change. His government introduced balanced budgets during each of his 10 years in office while reducing many taxes, including a plan to eliminate small business tax. As premier, he led strategic investments in health care, education, and training and infrastructure.
TOPIC: MHz Networks: Getting the News Out
Frederick Thomas Founder and CEO of MHz Networks
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Frederick Thomas is the founder and CEO of MHz Networks, which has brought more international television programming into America than all other U.S.-based broadcast television networks combined. Whether through foreign films — 110 titles representing 55 countries at last count — or international news from such trusted brands as NHK World TV, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, France 24, CCTV and Russia Today, Americans have come to count on MHz Networks’ as the easiest way to discover the world without leaving home. Prior to creating MHz Networks, Thomas worked as an independent media consultant, training top television executives and upper management around the world, with an emphasis on Slovakia, Romania, Estonia and Armenia. Earlier in his career, he worked as general manager and programming director of WNVC (the predecessor of MHz Networks), where he conceived of and created WNVC’s World View TV. Thomas has also served as executive producer of a wide range of original productions including: The Washington Post Foreign Service, MHz Presents (regional Emmy Award), MHz Global (regional Billboard Music Award) Dialogue, Hablemos de Salud, and Diver(c)ity (regional Emmy Award). Thomas is a graduate of American University with a master’s in communications and a bachelor’s in American studies.
Speaker biographies TOPIC: Foreign Direct Investment: A Targeted Approach
Mark Cowan CEO of Cowan Strategies
Mark Cowen serves as the CEO of Cowan Strategies. Cowan has 36 years of experience working on complex domestic and international public policy issues. He advises corporations, government entities and foreign sovereigns on a wide array of business, regulatory and trade issues. He also coordinates and oversees client growth and development at the firm. Mostly recently, Cowen worked as a senior executive vice president at Cassidy & Associates; was a partner at Patton Boggs; president of Columbus Public Affairs; and chief executive officer of Newmyer Associates, a public affairs and strategic intelligence firm. Cowan held presidential appointments under Reagan (deputy assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health and then as chief of staff and counselor to the secretary of labor in 1982); George H.W. Bush (commissioner on the National Commission on Employment Policy); and George W. Bush (member of the President’s Council on the 21st Century Work Force).
TOPIC: Your Embassy: Building the Best Website Possible
Stefan Gudjohnsen Partner in Globescope Internet Services
A native of Iceland, Stefan Gudjohnsen’s zeal for the internet and technology prompted him to found GlobeScope in 1995. His vision was to provide top-tier web design and programming solutions for embassies and consulates. To date, Gudjohnsen has managed website projects for more than 100 Washington embassies, diplomatic missions, and travel and trade offices from every continent. In fact, more than half of all countries in the world have chosen GlobeScope services. Gudjohnsen supports his team of employees and his roster of clients that also includes corporations, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations. A graduate of George Washington University with a master’s in tourism administration, Gudjohnsen applies his knowledge and expertise across GlobeScope’s client base on a daily basis.
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Speaker biographies
TOPIC: Your Embassy and Facebook: Something to ‘Like’
Katie Harbath Manager for Policy at Facebook
Katie Harbath is a manager for policy at Facebook, where she focuses on political outreach. Prior to Facebook, Harbath was the chief digital strategist at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She previously led digital strategy in positions at DCI Group, the Rudy Giuliani for President campaign and the Republican National Committee. In 2009, she was named a Rising Star by Campaigns and Elections magazine. Katie holds a bachelor’s in journalism and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
TOPIC: Diplomatic Work in Washington: The Case of the Jordan-U.S. FTA
Dr. Marwan Muasher Vice President for Studies at Carnegie Endowment
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Dr. Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment, where he oversees the endowment’s research in Washington, D.C., and Beirut on the Middle East. He was also a senior fellow at Yale University (2010-11) and the author of “The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation” and the forthcoming “The Second Arab Awakening.” In 1995, Muasher opened Jordan’s first embassy in Israel, and in 1996 he became minister of information and government spokesperson. As ambassador to the United States (1997-2002), he negotiated the first free trade agreement between the United States and an Arab nation. He then served as foreign minister of Jordan, where he played a central role in developing the Arab Peace Initiative and the Middle East Road Map. Muasher became deputy prime minister of Jordan in 2004, where he led the effort to produce a 10-year government reform plan. From 2006 to 2007, he was at the Jordanian Senate. Most recently, he was senior vice president of external affairs at the World Bank (2007-10).
Speaker biographies TOPIC: Traveler Demographics: How Americans Plan Travel
Paul Cohen Vice President of Optriant
Paul Cohen joined Optriant in 2013 as vice president, bringing 25 years of experience in the travel and tourism industries and a distinguished career of working with tourism marketing organizations, travel suppliers and corporate partners. Optriant is a division of Preferred Hospitality Group. In 2002, Cohen co-founded Partner Concepts LLC to deliver custom integrated marketing programs for tourism organizations around the world, including those in China, the British Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, Greece, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Partner Concepts also provided strategic travel consulting for Fortune 500 corporations, including Visa Inc. and Travel Channel, forging relationships between their clients and leading global travel suppliers, retailers, and travel and tourism organizations. In 2008, Cohen served as vice chairman of the Corporate Council on Africa Tourism Committee, leading a team of industry leaders to deliver policy recommendations to the Obama administration regarding travel and tourism. In 2005 and 2006, he worked with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the China National Tourism Administration on the historic memorandum of understanding regarding two-way tourism between China and the U.S. Prior to Partner Concepts, Cohen headed up the hospitality and tourism account activity as vice president of global advertising agency Enten & Associates. Prior to that, he served as the director of marketing and strategic alliances for the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
TOPIC: A Single Minded Approach to Destination Promotion
Chris Spring President of Spring O’Brien & Co., Inc.
Since the founding of Spring O’Brien in 1982, Chris Spring has developed and run programs for more than 28 destinations, including Morocco, Spain, New Zealand, China, Zimbabwe, Chile and the European Travel Commission. Spring was instrumental in establishing tour operator associations in the U.S. for a number of destinations, including Spain and Portugal. He’s also worked for a number of international hotel groups such as InterContinental and Sheraton, resorts such as SuperClubs and Club Med, as well as launching small boutique properties such as St. James’s Club and the WaterColor Inn & Resort. Spring has made Spring O’Brien a highly efficient, creative marketing force that consistently succeeds in making a “Visible Difference” for its clients. His skill at identifying marketing challenges and opportunities and integrating campaigns across a wide range of channels has made him a sought-after speaker at industry forums run by Ad Age, the BPAA and various marketing and PR Associations. Spring started in hotel management, including stints as a chef at the Dorchester Hotel in London and as a waiter at the Savoy.
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PANELIST biographies — lobbying AND crisis managEment — Ambassador Lukman Faily
Ambassador of Iraq to the United States
Lukman Faily became ambassador of Iraq to the United States on July 18, 2013, having previously served as Iraq’s ambassador to Japan from June 2010 to May 2013 and, prior to that, as an ambassador in the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before joining the Iraqi public sector, Ambassador Faily lived in the United Kingdom for 20 years, working in the information technology (IT) sector for several transnational companies. During his last 10 years abroad, he held senior management positions in two American companies, Ceridian Centrefile and then Electronic Data Systems, which is now part of Hewlett-Packard. In addition, he held consultancy and team-leader positions in the IT sector. While living and working in the United Kingdom, Ambassador Faily was also an active community leader within the large Iraqi exile community and served as a trustee for several nongovernmental Iraqi organizations. Ambassador Faily holds a bachelor’s of science degree in mathematics and computer science from Britain’s Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as a master’s in business administration in technology management and a postgraduate degree in computing for commerce and industry.
Ambassador Devinda R. Subasinghe
Former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States and founder and managing partner of Ambassadors Group LLC
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Devinda R. Subasinghe was appointed Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United States and Mexico and to serve as the permanent observer to the Organization of American States (OAS) on Oct. 7, 2002, and served until March 31, 2005. Subasinghe has spent 30 years advising governments and corporations on international economic development, foreign investment and financial issues and U.S.-Sri Lanka bilateral issues. Currently, he is the founder and managing partner of Ambassadors Group LLC, a global advisory service of former ambassadors to the U.S., foreign and prime ministers. He serves on the APCO Worldwide International Advisory Council and is the president of Bridging Nations, an organization dedicated to the U.S.-India-China triangular relationship. Subasinghe is also an adjunct professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Services at Georgetown University and an active member of the Marshall Legacy Institute fundraising committee, an organization specializing in mine clearing and education. He serves as a trustee of One Laptop Per Child-Lanka, working to introduce affordable educational technology to rural schools. Subasinghe holds a bachelor’s in economics and political science from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a master’s in international economics at the School of Advanced International Studies at the John Hopkins University in Washington D.C.
PANELIST biographies — lobbying AND crisis managEment — Heather Podesta
Founder of Heather Podesta + Partners
Heather Podesta, who launched the cutting-edge government relations firm Heather Podesta + Partners, is a leading legislative and public policy strategist with experience on Capitol Hill and in the private sector. Heather Podesta + Partners was recently named one of the country’s top 50 government relations firms by the National Law Journal. Podesta has guided clients from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits to success in Congress and with the Executive Branch. Providing common-sense advice on issues ranging from energy, health care, and technology to tax policy, her work has been highlighted in several major media outlets, with profiles in the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. Legal Times recognized her as one of the Top 10 “Leading Lawyers in Government Affairs,” and National Journal named her as one of “Washington’s 25 Top Influential Women.”
Charles Bakaly
Senior Counselor, North American Director of Crisis and Risk Management Practice for Edelman in Washington, D.C.
A lawyer and a communications counselor with more than 30 years experience, Charles Bakaly provides strategic counsel to clients at the intersection of the courts of law and public opinion. Since joining Edelman in 2005, he has advised clients in the areas of litigation, public affairs, government investigations, crisis and management, reputation risk management, labor relations and higher education. In 2006, he directed the release of the Iraq Study Group recommendations for co-chairmen, former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III and Congressman Lee Hamilton. In 1998, Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr appointed him counselor and spokesperson for the Office of Independent Counsel. He also served as counsel to Judge William Webster in the investigation of the Los Angeles Police Department’s response to the civil disorder in 1992 following the verdict in the first Rodney King case. Bakaly’s government experience began in 1981 when he was appointed staff assistant to President Reagan and director of press advance. In private law practice he was a lawyer with the international law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. As a federal prosecutor he investigated and prosecuted public integrity cases. Bakaly received his bachelor’s degree from the Colorado College and his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School.
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PANELIST biographies — Digital Diplomacy — Marc Johnson
Director of Digital Strategy at APCO Worldwide
Marc Johnson is a director of digital strategy in the Studio/ Online group at APCO Worldwide. He has extensive experience in helping governments develop and implement programs that harness the power of social media; managing highly technical projects; and building custom online applications that achieve specific goals and objectives. At APCO, Johnson has created winning strategies that drive specific goals for numerous organizations through the use of social media platforms. He also created a social media strategy that trained 400 government officers on using social media tools to engage public constituents. Prior to joining APCO, Johnson was associate account director for Mindshare Interactive Campaigns in Washington, D.C. At Mindshare, he focused on the areas of health care, education and advocacy, and used his expertise to manage a number of highly successful projects. For example, he managed the redesign and advancement of digital strategy for Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and created specific advocacy tools that won the Webby Award within the advocacy and nonprofit category. Johnson also worked with the Council of Chief State School Officers to build an online learning network (NetLC), which used online simulations and document recommendation engines to help state school officers learn best practices for managing and eliminating administrative issues in school districts.
Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde
Ambassador of Finland to the United States
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Ritva Koukku-Ronde became ambassador of Finland to the United States in September 2011. Ambassador Koukku-Ronde arrived in Washington, D.C., after working at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for almost three decades. Before her posting as ambassador, she was undersecretary of state for global development issues at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki. She also served as director general at the Department for Development Policy and deputy director general at the Department for Europe. Furthermore, she has held the position of minister and deputy head of mission at the Finnish Embassy in Bonn and Berlin and earlier as deputy head of mission in The Hague and Nairobi. Ambassador Koukku-Ronde has held numerous governing positions in her previous positions; for instance, she was the Finnish governor to the Regional Development Banks (Africa, Asia, Latin America). Ambassador Koukku-Ronde was also the chairman for the Board of Directors of Finnfund (Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation), the Board of the Institute for African Leadership for Sustainable Development and the Executive Board of Finnish Water Forum. Prior to joining the Ministry in 1985, Ambassador Koukku-Ronde worked as a journalist. She holds a master’s degree in history.
PANELIST biographies — Digital Diplomacy — Ambassador Nathalie Cely Suárez
Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States
Nathalie Cely Suárez became Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States on Jan. 18, 2012. Ambassador Cely previously served as president of the Council of Production and a member of the Government Council at the Ministry of Coordination of Production, Employment and Competitiveness (2009-11), as well as president of the Council of Social Development and a member of the Government Council at the Ministry of Coordination of Social Development (2007-09). She was also president of Edúcate, an organization that works to improve the quality of education and employability of vulnerable communities through information technology, and president of Stratega, which works for the economic inclusion of micro and small businesses (2003-07). In 2002, Ambassador Cely founded the consulting firm Stratega BDS. In addition, she was a research and teaching assistant at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard (200102), director of the Reform Unit of the National Council for the Modernization of the State (1999-2000), and director of the Bono Solidario program with Consejo Nacional de Modernización del Estado (1998-99), designing and implementing a cash subsidy that targeted the poorest populations in Ecuador. Ambassador Cely received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Universidad Católica de Guayaquil in Ecuador, a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and was a Ph.D. candidate in economics and development from the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales.
Ilse van Overveld
Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Press and Culture at the Royal Netherlands Embassy
Ilse van Overveld is the counselor for public diplomacy, press and culture at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. She joined the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002 as a senior communication advisor and has held varied positions covering crisis communications, corporate communications, press, public diplomacy, and social media. From 1997 to 2002, Overveld worked for two large communication agencies in The Hague in the field of public affairs, issue management, and public relations. She graduated from Leiden University with a degree in political science. Overveld leads a team of six communications professionals at the embassy in Washington, D.C., and is responsible for the North American communication strategy of the diplomatic network of the Netherlands. She also works in close cooperation with the Consulates General in New York, Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. (Continued on next page)
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PANELIST biographies
(Continued from previous page)
— Digital Diplomacy — James Barbour
Press Secretary and Head of Communications at the British Embassy
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James Barbour is the press secretary and head of communications at the British Embassy in Washington. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1997, having studied politics at the University of Edinburgh. Roughly half of his career has been spent in London, in a range of jobs covering the OSCE and the Balkans, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance, press work and public relations. From 2000 to 2004, Barbour was posted to the British High Commission in Cape Town and more recently spent 2007 to 2011 in Moscow. In Washington, D.C., Barbour is responsible for managing and portraying the embassy’s — and the British government’s — public presence in the United States, engaging in debates in the U.S. media environment on policy issues of importance to the United Kingdom and contributing presentational perspectives to the embassy’s policy discussions. Barbour is also keen to help the FCO make the most of social media; he’s spearheaded three blogs, and he often dabbles with Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter.
Contact: Amb. Devinda R. Subasinghe, Managing Partner Email: Devinda@AmbassadorsGroupLLC. com Phone: 202-251-4318 Web: www.ambassadorsgroupllc.com
Sponsors PUBLIC RELATIONS AND LOBBYING APCO Worldwide
Patton Boggs LLP 2550 M St, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 457-6000 www.pattonboggs.com
700 12th St., NW-Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 778-1000 www.apcoworldwide.com Cowan Strategies 414 N. Washington St.-Suite 301 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 665-3399 www.cowanstrategies.net
INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING MHz Networks 8101A Lee Highway Falls Church, VA 22042 (703) 770-7100 www.mhznetworks.org
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT GlobeScope Internet Services 2001 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 872-1050 www.globescope.com
TOURISM Optriant Travel Sales + Strategies 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington DC 20009 (202) 772-8331 www.optriant.com
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Spring O’Brien 30 West 26th St. 4th Floor New York, NY 10010 (212) 620-7100 www.spring-obrien.com
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Helping Governments Communicate in a Changing World
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APCO helps government leaders and diplomats internationally find the right narrative and develop the best strategic messaging that will resonate domestically, build international support and achieve communication goals.
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Over the course of APCO’s 30-year history, we have assisted sovereign nations across the globe. Our experts come from diplomatic and government backgrounds and offer functional and regional expertise. We have a deep understanding of how governments make decisions and how to communicate those decisions. This extensive experience allows us to advise sovereign nations on how best to communicate in Washington and around the world and, often, how to build capacity and improve their own in-house communication function. Services APCO offers to governments include: • Reputation Management • Foreign Direct Investment • Policy and Market Issues Research • Internal Communication • Direct Representation Custom tools and services: Global Political StrategiesSM (GPS). An executive service of APCO Worldwide, GPS brings together an international team of experienced diplomats, policy advisers and business people to provide governments, businesses and nongovernmental organizations with the strategic insight and forward-looking counsel they need to properly understand what’s next in their world. Chaired by Gov. Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, GPS is your personal foreign affairs department with experience drawn from developed and emerging markets around the world. Our team helps you navigate the challenges of operating in Washington and in a truly global environment. APCO’s Global Investment Compass (GIC). In a highly competitive market, GIC charts the path to increased foreign direct investment with a report that collects data from a variety of sources, produces an analysis and offers strategic recommendations on how the investment destination can better promote itself. n
For more information, please contact Philippe Maze-Sencier, executive director, APCO Worldwide: 700 12th Street, N.W., Suite 800 Washington, D.C., 20005 pmazesencier@apcoworldwide.com +1.202.659.7925 www.apcoworldwide.com
ABOUT APCO WORLDWIDE APCO Worldwide is a global communication, stakeholder engagement and business strategy firm with more than 30 offices in major political, business and media capitals around the world. APCO is an industry leader in providing services to governments and has assisted dozens of regional, national and state governments throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa in developing and implementing strategic communication campaigns in Washington and abroad.
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stablished in 1994, The Washington Diplomat is an independent monthly newspaper with more than 120,000 readers. It is distributed to Washington’s 180+ embassies as well as all major federal government institutions, private corporations and the Foreign Service. As the flagship newspaper of the diplomatic community, we are the only publication in Washington that is able to reach this highly targeted and lucrative market. Each issue regularly features in-depth, exclusive interviews with foreign ambassadors as well as people of influence such as members of Congress and heads of state. We also offer incisive news stories on the latest developments in international affairs, business, the media, diplomacy and other timely topics.
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DISTRIBUTION The Washington Diplomat is distributed free to more than 600 locations in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding metro area including:
• All foreign embassies in Washington, D.C., totaling more than 180 missions • Capitol Hill • The White House • U.S. Department of State • International Monetary Fund (IMF) • U.S. Department of Defense • The World Bank Group • The United Nations in New York • InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) • Business councils • Several Fortune 500 company headquarters including Coca Cola and GE • National Institutes of Health (NIH) • Organization of American States (OAS) • Think tanks and political research organizations • Universities and colleges throughout the Washington region • Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) • International non-profit organizations • Hotels in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding metro area • Hospitals and major medical centers across the nation
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The WashingTon DiplomaT P.O. Box 1345 Silver Spring, MD 20915 USA www.washdiplomat.com
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